Gilbert of Ingleside
by hecalledmecarrots
Summary: what does Gilbert really make of their lives, set in the days running up t their 15th Anniversary and that trip to Europe for a second honeymoon! I'd advise very late teens, I'll keep an eye on the rating!
1. Chapter 1

Shock horror folks! Apparently I can write something set in the actual real universe of Anne of Green Gables. This is set in the very last (I think three chapters) of Anne of Ingleside. Basically the day before and the day of their 15th wedding anniversary is featured heavily at the beginning of this so you'll see some interesting perspectives of that evening from Gilbert's point of view, we'll also see that second honeymoon, so things might be a little... ;-)

This is the story from Gilbert's point of view so a lot of the dialogue will seem familar... mostly because I had to link it with Anne of Ingleside. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

"I can't do this! I give up!"

Gilbert half smiled. It was getting close and this was one of the signs, the women wanting to give up, that was one of the first signs of the last stages in labour.

"You can do this Mrs Archer. Just take it one at a time. Can you do one more push for me on the next contraction?"

"No!" She screamed at the top of her voice.

"Mrs Archer." He said in a firm but sympathic voice. She looked to him. "You want to know what my wife always says about giving birth?" he asked her quickly. "The moment that baby is in your arms the pain goes away." He lowered his voice further "and the love you feel out trumps the pain you are having right now, because you have the sweetest purest thing in the world in your arms." He saw her face change "You're starting a contraction aren't you?" she only nodded. "push with it, breathe breathe…" she concentrated hard on his face following his instruction. "That's it, that's it."

Two hours later Mrs Archer had not one but two sweet babies in her arms. "Oh Doctor Blythe! Thank you, thank you!"

He smiled down at the two sweet lives he had just brought into the world. He knew his time of being a new father was over. He had been terrified all the way through Anne's pregnancy with Rilla after Shirley's had been such a hard one that Anne was going to drop at any moment and never come up again. He felt like he should have been following her around with a cushion in case she fell. The stress on the two of them had taken its toll, Anne, oh His Anne-Girl took it all in her stride and it wasn't as though he didn't want relations with his wife it was just…

What if she fell pregnant again?

He knew it could kill her.

But still there was something very special about new born babies.

"My pleasure." He simply said.

It really was his pleasure, he reflected as he drove the car back home. IN all the procedures in all the knowledge he had, the age old act of giving birth, was most definitely one of the most rewarding.

Unlike other aspects of his work. He reflected.

"Dr Parker might I have a word?" Gilbert asked him after going over the case and examining the patient.

They left the room before Gilbert sighed and looked to Doctor Parker. "I'm sorry." He said quietly.

"Then you agree?" started. "There's no hope?"

"No, I'm not sorry for the patient." Gilbert said his hand going uncomfortably into his Parker stared at Gilbert. "I don't agree with your diagnosis." Gilbert said reflecting his earlier quiet tone in his voice. "Its not pneumonia." He stated sure of his diagnosis.

Dr Parker mock laughed "Then what Doctor Blythe do you think it is?"

"I believe the patient has a pulmonary embolism…." Doctor Parker shook his head in disbelief "…the patient's symptoms are more consistent with it…"

"Gilbert, no you are wrong…"

"…and it is still treatable with the stage she is showing…"

"…oh here you go …"

"…if we get her to a hospital."

"You aren't taking sense! You can't go giving her false hope."

"I don't believe it is false."

"What's going on out here?" Mr Garrow came out to see the two doctors arguing.

"Its nothing." Doctor Parker started.

"No, Mr Garrow…" Gilbert started.

"Don't you dare! This is my patient!" Doctor Parker snapped at Gilbert. "I will not have you give them a false sense of…."

"Does Doctor Blythe think she could live?"

"Not from pneumonia." Doctor Parker stated.

Gilbert remained silent between the exchange, he hoped Mr Garrow was bright enough to pick up on the implication and was almost relieved when he spoke "do you believe it is something else?" he asked Gilbert directly.

It was only then Gilbert spoke. "If this is pneumonia I want to make this very clear Mr Garrow if it is pneumonia your wife will not live." Gilbert paused then said quietly, "but I don't believe it is pneumonia."

Doctor Parker's face hardened. "How dare you!" he reached for Gilbert going to punch him for which Gilbert had blocked him, momentarily losing his temper holding him at arm's length.

"Would your pride be so hurt by saving this women's life!" Gilbert exclaimed.

"You are wrong! Have it your way? The last days on earth this woman has will be wasted in transporting to the hospital if she even makes it that far!"

"My way? My way!?" He exclaimed. "my way would be every ailment my patients suffer would be cured... This has nothing to do with MY way and has everything to do with the correct medical diagnose and I am convinced that the illness she is suffering with... if we act quickly these needn't be her last days on this earth, she could still have a long and productive life ahead of her."

Mr Garrow had been convinced in the end, with a swift threat to Gilbert that IF he was wrong and had denied the family the last days of his wife that it would be his head on the chopping block.

That had been almost two weeks ago. And during those two weeks as we often do when given time, he had started to doubt his own diagnosis... he was so sure at the time, so very very sure...

He entered the house and looked at the grandfathers clock stroke three in the morning.

It was the morning of their 15th wedding anniversary. He entered hopefully into his study hoping to find the small black box with his gift in for Anne. She could go to His heart dropped in disappointment. He sat on his chair a moment and sighed. He wouldn't have anything to give to Anne.

His lovely sweet Anne. His darling who had been so tired of late so worked!

His wife, once so lively and interested in the world... he sighed, had he taken that from her too?

She could have had the life she deserved. All the riches, all the pretty things, all the sunbursts and marble halls. But she chose to be his!?

His heart skipped as he took note again in his own mind, was she really his? No, she was just borrowed to him a while. She would never be wholey his. He didn't deserve her. She who had carefully and wonderfully given birth to his seven children, raised the six living... caring and actually being there for their children.

And he had failed her as husband again.

He sat moping a good 15 minutes before he went up to bed. He felt her stir as he climbed into bed. He was so disappointed in himself he only managed to mutter **"twins"** , before he wiped a tear away from his face then feigned sleep before he should have. Eventually he heard her soft breathing indicating she had fallen asleep. He lay awake for a long while looking blankly to the ceiling.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi Folks,

I have to say thank you again! So you'll notice in this chapter and I think the next you'll see a lot of text from the original text. I've put it in bold and take no credit for it (L M Montgomery rules!) But its in there because its taking place the same time as Gilbert is experiencing it and its from her POV.

So please bare with me through it!

love

Carrots

* * *

So ashamed was he that he went into the library and short of locking the door stayed there all day.

'Should I feel guilty?' He wondered, it was his anniversary too and Anne hadn't approached him with a gift, maybe she had forgotten? Though it was a very un-Anneish thing to do, but if she had forgotten maybe it wouldn't be so bad that he had no present?

No that wasn't true either, she had a lot on her mind. He reflected. Nan's new kitten had ruined the fern, Anne had broken a painted glass lampshade and Gilbert knew she had felt awful over it. Rilla had had earache and Shirley had a mysterious rash on his neck(to him it was a simple rash and he knew it, but Anne didn't have the medical training he did, she had every right to be worried) Walter's stockings went missing (no surprises there Walter could be flighty) Nan wanted to know where the seven seas were for her homework, Di was twisting her legs round the piano stool again, (honestly one day it would cause an accident and poor Di would be in tears at her own doing) Shirley had a new magazine and, why was it stuck up with jam? Anne made it sound so regular like it happened every time… it shouldn't happen once and the prisms had gone from the hanging lamp. All this in the course of one day! Imagine all of this building up and up and up… his dearest Anne-Girl.

He should be spending the day with Anne, kissing into her neck murmuring those still true tender words from 15 years ago.

 _"How long will you love me Gilbert?" she had asked during their wedding dance._

 _"Forever."_

He wanted to throw a book across the room he was so frustrated! He eventually emerged from the study to dress, the pit of his stomach lurched and his heart raced when he entered the bedroom and she was stunning! Apple green! Her dress had to be apple green and look perfect, yes, it's true he was an awful husband and didn't belong with the queen of nature herself her red hair (it was perfect, he _loved_ red hair, even more so now three of his children had various shades of red hair) setting the green in the dress off and those rosebuds… roses, their wedding flower… did she… did she remember was she dropping hints? The dress reminded him of a dress she used to wear at Redmond. He swallowed at the memory and looked at his wife again, she looked just as she had that day, she hadn't aged a bit. Instead of saying anything he marched through the room pretending not to notice.

It didn't seem long after she was tapping on the door.

 **"Gilbert, we're going to miss the train if you don't hurry."**

 **"You sound school-teacherish," said Gilbert, coming out. "Anything wrong with your metatarsals?"**

He looked in shock as she had changed. Out of that beautiful dress into the black taffy dress. There was nothing wrong with the dress, smart and presentable, Anne couldn't help but look so beautiful but he never thought it was _Anne's_. It said nothing of _her_ , it was too stiff and formal. Maybe that's all she was now. He thought sadly 'maybe I've whipped her into shape of being a dutiful wife'. This thought didn't please him, he never wanted Anne to do anything out of duty and he certainly didn't want it to seem like she was under foot. He thrilled at the thought of her challenging him. He looked her up and down sadly, there was one small sight he was glad of a small pink pendent snug in the hollow of her neck, he couldn't help but imagine it was him for a moment.

 **"Well, come along if you're in such a hurry,"** said Gilbert trying to sway his thoughts back to decency.

They sat in the train carriage barely speaking to each other. His Anne was quiet. How could this be? Then when she sneezed he worried. Was she coming down with something? Was she so run down that she was ill?! Well the sooner he could speak to Dr. Folwer and Dr. Murray about this medical conference the better. The least he could do was to whisk Anne away for a little while to Europe, he see the sights of at least London Paris, Milan, oh surely the old world would cheer her a little!?

When they came downstairs in the Barrett Fowler residence Dr. Fowler had asked if Anne was okay. Was it so obvious she was so mistreated? He wondered for a moment before he pointed out Anne had stumbled coming in. Gilbert made a mental note to ask Anne later if all was well, if she really was coming down with something her balance would be off and what of her sneeze earlier? He watched as Anne acquainted herself with the ladies in front of her and sighed in contentment. Not all men could boast a wife so at ease with others that others were so easily charmed by her. He could almost feel his own eyes light as he watched her.

'Damn her and her good looks.' He thought. She barely looks over the age of 21. He, he reflected was getting old his eyes sagged with greater ease then they did even a couple of years ago, his hair was turning grey. Dr. Murray who he was only just getting acquainted with asked how Gilbert had come by such a young wife practically accusing him of cradle snatching. Gilbert had simply smiled before Dr Fowler had interjected "Mrs Blythe is only a couple of years younger than Doctor Blythe." Gilbert couldn't help but laugh at the look on Dr. Murray's face.

"It's okay." He joked. "Anne does look very young, on the plus side I'll never need look for a younger wife now will I?"

They had laughed. Gilbert was glad. His looks maybe fading but at least he still had the wits to charm people. He looked to his wife admiring her again when another women came into his scope of view.

Christine stood for a moment in the doorway. Gilbert stopped and remembered Christine had of old that habit of pausing in the doorway to show herself off, she seemed not to have outgrown this.

He had, he reflected wanted to see Christine again. They had been good friends once upon a time. He had been given by Christine's brother, Ronald, a picture of Christine so he would recognise her when he met her in at Redmond, which Anne had later found in one of his old pockets.

 _"Oh," he had said off handily. "I wondered where that went to. " he said with a shrug. One of the very first romantic conversations they had, was on the very subject of Christine and Roy, he was glad in that moment they had talked about it then, there was no need in that moment. Anne knew of course she did! There was never anyone but her._

But looking up at her now, he wouldn't recognise Christine as the girl from the photo he had so readily disregarded. **She wore a dress which was purple velvet with long sleeves, lined with gold, and a fish-tail train lined with gold lace. A gold bandeau encircled the still dark wings of her hair. A long, thin gold chain, starred with diamonds, hung from her neck.**

He looked again to his wife. Her back straight, even in that taffy dress, Anne still looked more alluring then Christine ever did, including this instant. Her grey eyes sparkled in the light. 'Gods, she is gorgeous!' he thought to himself before he looked again to Christine, well he was sure she used to be closer to Anne's beauty than this?! But that was unfair, 'that was vanity after all, not vanity of myself, vanity of my wife, though Anne is more beautiful anyone could see that!' he thought to himself. 'And Christine just to look at, had gotten old. Anne looked half her age at least!' He reflected more. Though Gilbert knew there was a few months between them, in Christine's favour (she being the younger of the two), Christine looked positively middle aged. He saw lines around her forehead and eyes and she had put on weight all around her middle. He looked back to Anne, she was as slender as ever, despite six pregnancies and seven babies later. Not having babies had done Christine no favours. Oh but he had to think of something kind to say to her. Maybe a little white lie wouldn't hurt. He in fact felt very sorry for her as few people paid her any attention as she came in the room (unlike his own wife who held the attention of all she had conversed with) so forced himself to smile as she passed.

 **"Why, Gilbert Blythe, you're as handsome as ever, It's so nice to find you haven't changed."** She drawled. (He'd forgotten about that drawl, Philippa had had one too but hers was playful and sweet while Christine's was… even in those few words bitter had it always been that way?)

 **"When I look at you,"** Gilbert started then remembered a line which he heard had charmed Mrs Perkins to marry Mr Perkins into marrying him, perhaps he could borrow the line, **"time ceases to have any meaning at all. Where did you learn the secret of immortal youth?"**

Christine laughed. (Oh **_now_** he remembered, her laugh set his teeth on edge, it was as if it were made of tin)

 **"You could always pay a pretty compliment, Gilbert. You know" . . . with an arch glance around the circle . . . "Dr. Blythe was an old flame of mine in those days he is pretending to think were of yesterday."** She said.

'Old flame?' Gilbert thought, 'when was I ever an old flame?' had time been so unkind to her that it had on set memory loss too?

 **"And Anne Shirley!"**

This annoyed Gilbert, 'Anne _Shirley_ was she now, apparently 15 years of marriage still negated the fact she was Anne _Blythe_!'

 **"You haven't changed as much as I've been told . . ."**

'who would have told you Anne changed?' he wondered.

 **"…though I don't think I'd have known you if we'd just happened to meet on the street…"**

'no, not if you were expecting her to age as you have' his mind wandered was she… she was being catty to Anne? What on earth was her motivation?!

 **"…Your hair is a** ** _little_** **darker than it used to be, isn't it…?"**

'nope it isn't' Gilbert thought gleefully.

 **"…Isn't it** ** _divine_** **to meet again like this? I was so afraid your lumbago wouldn't let you come."**

 ** _"My_** **lumbago!?"** Anne asked surprised, to which Gilbert was as well.

 **"Why, yes; aren't you subject to it? I thought you were . . ."**

 **"I must have got things twisted,"** said Mrs. Fowler apologetically though Gilbert knew Mrs Fowler did no such thing she was being kind and making it look like her fault, rather than fully believe Christine was being as rude as it appeared she was being. **"Somebody told me you were down with a very severe attack of lumbago. . . ."**

 **"That is Mrs. Dr. Parker of Lowbridge. I have never had lumbago in my life,"** said Anne.

'That's my girl!' Gilbert though proudly.

 **"How very nice that you haven't got it,"** said Christine, **"It's** ** _such_** **a wretched thing. I have an aunt who is a perfect martyr to it."**

Her air seemed to want relegate Anne to the generation of aunts, 'if Anne was the generation of Aunts that only made Christine the generation of Grandma's so she really shouldn't be so pointed.' Gilbert mused. He never believed himself quite as prone to bitterness as this but as he watched his wife's reaction it melted away. Anne was smiling sweetly. Of course Anne would never pick up on such behaviour she was too sweet.

 **"They tell me you have seven children,"** said Christine looking at Gilbert.

His heart skipped a beat in sadness. He couldn't find it in him to speak. Their Joy had been so cruelly taken from them, how could Christine have been so mean?!

 **"Only six living,"** said Anne, wincing though he doubted anyone else saw, but he knew his wife, her emotional reaction the same as his. Joy would have been a beautiful 14-year-old by now, with his mother's large grey eye, maybe even her hair? Another redhead would do him just fine! He had imagined what Joy may have been in those years' hundreds, thousands, possibly millions of time.

 ** _"What_** **a family!"** said Christine.

Did… no it wasn't possible, did Anne regret their babies? The look on Anne's face? no it couldn't be right!

 **"You, I think, have none?"** asked Anne.

 **"I never cared for children, you know."** Christine shrugged her shoulders, her voice was so hard. **"I'm afraid I'm not the maternal type. I really never thought that it was woman's sole mission to bring children into an already overcrowded world."**

He felt an anger build inside of him. What exactly was she saying?

Dinner was called where Gilbert looked for Anne, where he found Dr Fowler had taken her. Gilbert's mouth played a smile.

'Anne Blythe you charmer!' He thought to himself. No one was able to speak to that little man except other doctors and he had found Anne enchanting enough to take her hand when his own wife was there. He couldn't be more proud in that moment! He stopped his eyes from rolling when he realised that meant he must take Christine.

"Shall we?" he asked her and she slipped her hand through is arm, as he walked he looked down at her hand, were they always so big? He wondered, not like Anne's, dainty, graceful and so so soft, no wonder their babies loved their heads stroked by mother's hand to get them to sleep.

His mind wandered as Christine was talking to him, he was secretly glad he was able to pretend interest, (something he was able to do in his youth too thanks to a certain Josie Pye, well Baxter now) as his mind thought of lovelier things then this dull who he was conversing with.

She was talking to him about rhythmic speeds for living. "…and I always insist to live in the fast lane, what's the point if there isn't a bit excitement." She said with a toothy grin. "Then…" she said lowering her voice so only Gilbert could hear "… you were born for the fast lane but been _forced_ to be in the slow lane, what a bore! Tied down with _that_ family and ambitions _so_ below what you are capable of. _I_ could help you there." She whispered to him putting her hand on top of his which he promptly removed he looked to her looking annoyed.

He didn't even have the words he was so angry! _That_ family! _His_ family! _His_ life the one _he_ had dreamed about, _he_ was living _his_ dream! How _dare_ she come in and try to trample on it!

She seemed to sweep it under the carpet when she continued "… well that's why I went to Oberammergau."

"Oh did you see Passion Play while you were there?" Dr. Murray asked her.

Gilbert listened as Christine droned on about the play, he could only suspect but it sounded like a well performed monologue rather than a critique of the play, he suspected Christine didn't actually see the play at all!

 **"Have you ever been to Oberammergau?"** Christine asked Anne. Then before Anne could even answer if she had Christine continued **"Of course a** ** _family_** **ties you down terribly,"** said Christine. **"Oh, whom do you think I saw last month when I was in Halifax? That little friend of yours . . . the one who married the ugly minister . . . what** ** _was_** **his name?"**

 **"Jonas Blake,"** said Anne. **"Philippa Gordon married him. And I never thought he was ugly."**

Gilbert smiled. No, Jonas wasn't exactly handsome, but Philippa made up for any lost beauty and as Anne would say Jonas had a beautiful soul, and that he did! Christine then bitterly spiralled into jealous rage (in Gilbert's opinion anyway) accusing people of being poor and sad and accusing their little lives to be so below her own… and _what_ was she saying about _his_ island… but Anne put her in her place everytime… he couldn't help but admire his wife! Her ability to debate and defend her beliefs! She was wonderful! Her eyes sparkling again, oh her mood had changed they were green now. 'totally blissful." He thought to himself,

 **"…There is a surprising lot of them, you know, and they like to get news from that country."**

 **"And you've quite given it up?"**

 **"Not altogether . . . but I'm writing living epistles now,"** said Anne.

His heart raced. He looked to Christine momentarily. She was confused and Gilbert knew it. Christine could never understand Anne's higher plain of existence she hadn't the imagination, never could she interact with Gilbert the same way as Anne, and this! This was the living proof!

 **"Does anybody ever eat philopenas now?" asked Dr. Murray, who had just cracked a twin almond. Christine turned to Gilbert.**

 **"Do you remember that philopena** ** _we_** **ate once?" she asked** putting a playful hand on his knee.

 **"Do you suppose I could forget it?" asked Gilbert** moving her hand away.

 _It had been a group picnic where the almond nut was present, she had picked up one rolled it in her fingers._

 _'Come now Gilbert, what's the worst that could happen?' she had flirted cracking it open and had in fact found two almond nuts inside one shell. She had popped one nut inside her mouth then pinched the second in her fingers holding it to his mouth, he blushed slightly not wanting to take it but she persisted so he took it, praying she wouldn't claim philopena. "I claim philopena." She flirted still dangerously close. "its tradition Gilbert." She had laughed._

 _Thankfully he had seen her from behind first on their next meeting._

 _"philopena!" he exclaimed walking past her. He had grinned to break the tension._

 _She followed him for a moment before he turned and looked at her. "what do you want from me Mr Blythe?" she had flirted again._

 _He took a sigh. "I don't need pity flirting." He told her and walked away._

She then sprouted into do you remember each one bringing up their own painful association with them. He wished each memory he had shared with Anne. He was glad all of his tomorrows were for Anne only.

 **"Do you remember the night we went to the masquerade? . . ." she asked.**

 **"You were a Spanish lady in a black velvet dress with a lace mantilla and fan."** He commented, he only wished he was with a woodland fairy in a green dress with fluttering wings and long loose red hair.

 **"Gilbert, let us take a stroll in the garden. I want to learn again the meaning of moonrise in September."** Gilbert looked to Anne whose head held high and beautiful, she was obviously in no need of him. So out they went.

He looked back and saw Anne take a seat looking out into the garden. She was probably going to speak with her fairies. He recalled nights he and Anne had walked in moonlit gardens of Avonlea. Anne's hair caught tonight like it did then, it glistened in the moonlight. She was stunning.

Christine was looking up at the sky. He reached into his own pocket and pulled out a dog biscuit. She looked to the item then to Gilbert. "Sorry." He apologised. "another new pup." He said with a shake of the head.

"You have dogs?" she asked him. "Oh what pedigree?" she asked.

He laughed. "they're mutts and don't we know it." He said thinking of the cuteness of mixed breeds.

"Oh you really ought to have pedigrees' you don't know where those mutts have been or how good their parents are, they're like your little ones imagine breeding with someone without knowing her breed…" she paused as a look flashed on Gilbert's face, she couldn't believe after all these years after everything Anne Shirley put him through he _still_ wouldn't stand for anything bad to be said about Anne. "…but then…" she continued loftily he could have sworn she looked spitefully towards Anne, which only made him angrier. "I breed dogs you know. I have a new breed they are called Dobermann pinschers…"

He sighed and thought again of Mrs Garrow, he hoped he heard word soon. What if she died? He couldn't show his face again… they'd had to move…. Possibly off the island…

"…A flea can jump two hundred times its own length. So that's why you must keep them away from other pups, you don't know where they've been!" Gilbert smiled and nodded dutifully.

But then if they did have to move would Anne be happy? And the children he's be moving them away from the valley!

Gilbert was bored of their conversation. He was bored and he wished for Anne.

They came in and Gilbert sat quietly, he was missing Anne. Christine sang . . . moderately well. Gilbert felt uncomfortable was she singing _at_ _him_? "the dear dead days beyond recall." Gilbert leaned back in an easy-chair and remembered those days, those two years he ached for her! He missed Anne so entirely those two years felt like an eternity. Those days were long gone, yes. Gone and dead and he was thankful for it. Those days he was without his wife were gone and no, he didn't miss them _at_ all!

When the night was finally closing he took Christine for her coat, glad to be rid of her. She reached up and picked a leaf from his shoulder; the gesture he felt was uncomfortable even more so when he turned to find Anne standing watching.

 **"Are you really well, Gilbert? You look frightfully tired. I** ** _know_** **you're overdoing it."**

He sighed, after spending the entire evening with him, she never mentioned his health once except in front of his wife, who he knew was unwell herself… Well frankly he was a doctor, she clearly had no idea what it meant to be a doctor. Anne understood.

 **Christine turned to Anne.**

 **"It's been so nice to meet you again, Anne. Quite like old times."**

 **"Quite,"** said Anne.

 **"But I've just been telling Gilbert he looked a little tired. You ought to take better care of him, Anne. There was a time, you know, when I really had quite a fancy for this husband of yours. I believe he really was the nicest beau I ever had. But you must forgive me since I didn't take him from you."**

Gilbert froze. 'I was a what?!' Anne knew, Anne must have known! There was only Anne, there was only ever Anne, that was all that mattered, right?

 **"Perhaps he is pitying himself that you didn't,"** she said. Which chilled Gilbert to the bone.

 **"You dear funny thing!"** said Christine, with a shrug of her too wide shoulders. She was looking after them as if something amused her hugely.


	3. Chapter 3

They walked silently home from the Glen station by the short-cut to Ingleside. Anne still seemed so sad and silent as they entered the house where she caught her foot in a croquet hoop and nearly fell headlong into a clump of phlox.

 **Gilbert said, "O-o-o-ps!" and steadied her with a hand** trying to break the tension which had been playing between the two all night. Upon failure Anne snatching her hand away from his he decided to give her some space and go to his study, despite how tired he was he's stay in there a few minutes to let her ready herself for bed.

He opened his study door and he sat at his desk.

He had tried on the way home to talk to her, but whatever he said just went the wrong way.

 **"Had a nice evening?"** he had asked trying to start up the flair she had in her to describe what had happened.

 **"Oh, lovely,"** said Anne . . . **"spent the evening under a harrow."**

He had swallowed and wondered what was wrong, but the way she had spat it to him he dare not ask.

 **"What made you do your hair that way?"** said Gilbert still trying to make conversation.

 **"It's the new fashion."** She had said shorter still.

He looked sadly to her but she didn't notice, Her hair seemed completely flat on the top and parted harshly right down the middle of her hair. He missed the classical Anne's 'grown up' style, the rounded pompadour. **"Well, it doesn't suit you."** He said thinking it belonged to women who either didn't know how to care for their hair and was trying to do their hair up, or else older women who cared little for modern fashions **"It may be all right for some hair but not for yours."**

 **"Oh, it is too bad my hair is red,"** said Anne icily.

He had meant nothing about her red hair! Why would he mean anything about her red hair!? She must know by now he loved her hair, it was part of her. But he hadn't defended himself. He was too tired and it seemed wise to drop the subject.

He had opened his mouth a couple of times to try and start a conversation but upon seeing the storm brewing on her face he had not said anything.

He moved some papers on the desk and there he saw the small package, hidden on the desk. He ripped it open and sat in relief as he opened it to find the diamond pendent necklace he had order. Well if he was a thoughtless cad at least he had a way of making it up to her now. Although he didn't much want to approach her the way he was feeling right now. He looked again on his desk and saw a small envelope peeking out from under the ripped open package. He reached for it and opened it silently.

 _Doctor Blythe,_

 _Your diagnosis was correct. They have operated and it was a success. The specialist out here made the same diagnoses and operated immediately._

 _Will talk more upon my arrival,_

 _Yours Sincerely,_

 _Dr Parker._

Gilbert sighed an even bigger sigh of relief, he found a weight which had been invisibly and silently weighing him down lift suddenly. He took a moment to allow himself a few tears of relief before he thought of who he could share the good news with.

Anne.

His bride!

He broke into a step which even he could have mistaken as a Young Gilbert's stride, taking two steps at a time just as he once did… if he took more than one step at a time, he would be with Anne all that sooner!

 **He burst into the room . . . he flung a little packet on the table . . . he caught Anne by the waist and waltzed her round and round the room like a crazy schoolboy, coming to rest at last breathlessly in a silver pool of moonlight.**

 **"I was right, Anne . . . thank God, I was right! Mrs. Garrow is going to be all right . . . the specialist has said so."**

 **"Mrs. Garrow? Gilbert, have you gone crazy?"** she asked him in almost the same tone as she earlier spoke but not quite, perhaps she had soften?

 **"Didn't I tell you? Surely I told you . . ."** he asked her, maybe, maybe he hadn't, this would explain in part Anne's cold behaviour towards the subject she was always so supportive normally, if she didn't know about it… **"well, I suppose it's been such a sore subject I just couldn't talk of it. I've been worried to death about it for the past two weeks . . . couldn't think of anything else, waking or sleeping. Mrs. Garrow lives in Lowbridge and was Parker's patient. He asked me in for a consultation . . . I diagnosed her case differently from him . . . we almost fought . . . I was sure I was right . . . I insisted there was a chance . . . we sent her to Montreal . . . Parker said she'd never come back alive . . . her husband was ready to shoot me on sight. When she was gone I went to bits . . . perhaps I** ** _was_** **mistaken . . . perhaps I'd tortured her needlessly. I found the letter in my office when I went in . . . I was** ** _right . . ._** **they've operated . . . she has an excellent chance of living. Anne girl, I could jump over the moon! I've shed twenty years."**

Anne laughed sweetly in some delight! Oh what music! Compared to the tinny laugh of Christine, Anne's was like music!

 **"I suppose that is why you forgot this was our anniversary?"** he felt her taunt.

 **Gilbert released her long enough to pounce on the little packet he had dropped on the table.**

 **"I didn't forget it. Two weeks ago I sent to Toronto for this. And it didn't come till tonight. I felt so small this morning when I hadn't a thing to give you that I didn't mention the day . . . thought you'd forgotten it, too . . . hoped you had. When I went into the office there was my present along with Parker's letter. See how you like it."**

 **"Gilbert . . . and I . . ."** she blushed which he loved to see her do.

 **"Try it on. I wish it had come this morning . . . then you'd have had something to wear to the dinner besides that old enamel heart."** He flirted as he slipped around the back of her looking in the mirror kissed into her neck **"Though it** ** _did_** **look rather nice snuggling in that pretty white hollow in your throat, darling."** He said brushing her hair to one side with his hand and kissed into the back of her neck his hand dropped from her hair and slipped around her front to her breast where he gave he a gentle squeeze **"Why didn't you leave on that green dress, Anne? I liked it . . . it reminded me of that dress with the rosebuds on it you used to wear at Redmond."** He looked up cheekily with a twisted smile and peered over her shoulder looking into her eyes through the mirror.

 **"You** ** _do_** **love me, Gilbert? I'm not just a habit with you? You haven't** ** _said_** **you loved me for so long."**

 **"My dear, dear love!"** he exclaimed in shock letting her go enough only to turn her on the spot in his arms **"I didn't think you needed words to know that. I couldn't live without you. Always you give me strength. There's a verse somewhere in the Bible that is meant for you . . . 'She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.'"**

 **The diamond pendant slipped to the floor, unheeded for the moment. It was beautiful . . .** he kissed her again before he reached around the back of the dress and slowly but surely unbuttoned every last one of the buttons, he helped her arms out and casually let the dress fall to the ground. "Put it on." He breathed. Anne pulled back and looked at him confused. "the dress the green dress, put it on." She bit her lip and moved towards the wardrobe. She took the dress from the hanger and just as she was about to slip it on he called again. "only the dress." Anne looked again at him and a smile teased her lips, if it weren't for the unmistakable look on her husbands face she would have doubted her own ears! But she wilfully obeyed taking off her corset. He pulled her on top of him the moment the dress hung from her.

"Gil." She whispered. "Are you sure?" she asked him, before he grinned again and loosen her hair letting fall round her shoulders down her front and back.

"Aren't you?" he asked her before he captured her lips again. He was delighted when her fingers started playing with the buttons on his shirt. He reached round and played with her long loose red hair.

He took off her dress almost as quickly as Anne had put it on, while Anne pressed her husband against the side of their bed as she swiftly removed his clothing until they were both undressed and bare before each other Anne pressed further to have him lay on the bed. He wilfully obeyed.

It didn't take long for them to come up in gasps of delight.

"I love you Anne-Girl." He whispered.

She smiled down at him as she sat atop of him. **"Oh, if we could keep this moment for ever, Gilbert!"** She gasped. He kept her to him, he loved this angle, Anne! On his lap! Her whole body to play with, their bodies undeniably joined!

 **"We're going to have some moments."** He told her with a raised and flirting eyebrow **"It's time we had a second honeymoon. Anne, there's going to be a big medical congress in London next February. We're going to it . . . and after it we'll see a bit of the Old World. There's a holiday coming to us."** He played with her hair as she came from on top of him lay beside him and relaxed momentarily in his arms **"We'll be nothing but lovers again . . . it will be just like being married over again."** He looked down at her lovingly **"You haven't been like yourself for a long time. You're tired and overworked . . . you need a change. I'm not going to have it cast up to me that doctors' wives never get a pill. We'll come back rested and fresh, with our sense of humour completely restored."**

 **Well, try your pendant on and let's get to bed. I'm half dead for sleep . . . haven't had a decent night's sleep for weeks, what with twins and worry over Mrs. Garrow."**

 **"What on earth were you and Christine talking about so long in the garden tonight?" asked Anne, peacocking before the mirror with her diamonds,** before she picked up a hairbrush and started to plait her hair in two thick pigtails.

Gilbert yawned. And went into explaining the evening he had with Christine.

 **"…Christine was never very entertaining, but she's a worse bore than ever. And malicious! She never used to be malicious."**

 **"What did she say that was so malicious?"** Anne asked him **.**

 **"Didn't you notice? Oh, I suppose you wouldn't catch on . . . you're so free from that sort of thing yourself."** He admired in his wife. She really was made of better salt then Christine, such a sweetheart! **"Well, it doesn't matter. That laugh of hers got on my nerves a bit. And she's got fat. Thank goodness, you haven't got fat, Anne-girl."** He looked at Anne with her pigtails in, there was the girl he had fallen in love with! There she was!

 **"Oh, I don't think she is so very fat," said Anne charitably. "And she certainly is a very handsome woman."**

 **"So-so. But her face has got hard . . . she's the same age as you but she looks ten years older."**

 **"And you talking to her about immortal youth!"**

 **Gilbert grinned guiltily.**

 **"One has to say something civil. Civilization can't exist without a** ** _little_** **hypocrisy. Oh, well, Christine isn't a bad old scout, even if she doesn't belong to the race of Joseph. It's not her fault that the pinch of salt was left out of her. What's this?"**

 **"My anniversary remembrance for you. And I want a cent for it . . . I'm not taking any risks. Such tortures as I've endured this evening! I was eaten up with jealousy of Christine."**

Gilbert looked genuinely astonished. It had never occurred to him that Anne could be jealous of anybody.

 **"Why, Anne-girl, I never thought you had it in you."**

 **"Oh, but I have. Why, years ago I was madly jealous of your correspondence with Ruby Gillis."**

 ** _"Did_** **I ever correspond with Ruby Gillis? I'd forgotten. Poor Ruby! But what about Roy Gardner? The pot mustn't call the kettle black."**

 **"Roy Gardner? Philippa wrote me not long ago that she'd seen him and he'd got positively corpulent. Gilbert,"** She said with what he thought was a satisfying grin. **"Dr. Murray may be a very eminent man in his profession but he looks just like a lath and Dr. Fowler looked like a doughnut. You looked so handsome . . . and** ** _finished . . ._** **beside them."**

 **"Oh, thanks . . . thanks. That's something like a wife should say. By way of returning the compliment I thought you looked unusually well tonight, Anne, in spite of that dress. You had a little colour and your eyes were** ** _gorgeous_** **. Ah-h-h, that's good! No place like bed when you're all in. There's another verse in the Bible . . . queer how those old verses you learn in Sunday School come back to you through life! . . . 'I will lay me down in peace and sleep.' In peace . . . and sleep . . . goo'night."** He managed as he slumbered off to sleep.

He felt her slide into bed with him at some unknown time later. He felt her snug into his chest and whisper much as she did when they were first married 'I love you Gilbert.'

To exhausted to let her know he heard her the thought ran through his mind at last;

All was right in the world.

* * *

AN: The conversation is at length in Anne of Ingleside but I thought it was taking the mick a little to use it all. I would suggest reading the last three chapters of Anne of Ingleside along with these first three chapters.

It was hard work writing it in parallel with Anne's POV. But I always felt sorry for Gilbert in this last chapter where all was explained, poor boy keeps all his cards close to his chest!

Again, there are parts of this which heavily involves Anne of Ingleside, I'm not going to hide it, All work which is in bold is not my own but is LM Montgomery's and has not been used for any benefit other then my own and (hopefully) yours in enjoying this chapter. The characters here ALL belong to LM Montgomery and her 'Anne' works. If there is a copyright issue it is not intended.


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